DBM Secretary Benjamin Diokno. Noy Morcoso / INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III on Friday brushed aside some members of the House of Representatives who were urging President Rodrigo Duterte to fire Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno, saying their term would soon end.
“Kami sa mga Senado, ’wag nila ikagalit, with due respect, natatawa kami yung mga nagpapa-resign kay Diokno hanggang June 30 na lang e. Tapos pinapa-resign nila si DBM Secretary [Department of Budget and Management],” Sotto told radio station dzMM.
Sotto’s reaction came after Minority Leader Danilo Suarez filed House Resolution No. 2365 which urged Duterte to “reconsider his appointment” of Diokno last Wednesday.
Suarez and Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. claimed that Diokno orchestrated the “insertion” of some P75 billion infrastructure fund in the proposed P3.8-trillion national budget for 2019 without Duterte’s knowledge.
READ: House adopts resolution urging Duterte to fire Diokno
The senator also echoed Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo’s statement saying the resolution was “politically motivated.”
“Naiintindihan ko si Secretary Panelo kasi feeling nila na-personal si Secretary Diokno,” he said.
Panelo was quoting the statement of Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, a former lawmaker, saying “to use a congressional process to bombard Secretary Diokno with pre-considered questions and answers in aid not of legislation but of persecution and excruciating him with baseless allegations is a mockery of basic standard democratic procedures.”
READ: Duterte won’t heed House call to fire Diokno